What Ježíšek brought to us

I ordered this from Mieke Willems for my son. As I expected, he didn't care much when he opened the present but I was surprised to find on the box a little writing on bottom right: Made in Czechoslovakia. It traveled all the way to Belgium so that I could have it back here in Prague. But I think it went there at least twenty years ago, not only design of the box says so (I thought it was retro, I admit) also little investigation revealed that it went out through Pragoexport, the monopoly for exporting toys abroad from THAT time.

I wonder what the story is, the toys are new, where were they hanging out all that time? My husband said, of course they were made in Czechoslovakia, look at them! I am not sure what he meant.

But we are playing. I got my kid attracted by having the puppets drive his little cars that he also got, on his little car rug with streets and gasoline stations depicted on it. They drive wild, have accidents and pull their vehicles to garages. They also go to Christmas islands where they dare to climb our Christmas tree. I get very tired as I happen to be back in my childish years (meant both ways). But my son doesn't. I have to go now, need to go play.

Christmas

Last week, a friend of mine brought me flowers. I was giving her fir branches since we had bought our Christmas tree and had to cut off few bottom branches. So we had our Christmas tree in the room. And she brought me flowers that she had picked the same day in her garden, just before the frost stroke down.

And we put up our Nativity scene, too. A complete one. With baby Jesus and the three Mags from the East. Dominik was curious what little Ježíšek looks like. So I pulled the figures out and we put the whole scene together. Little Jesus brings presents to every family on Christmas Eve, so all the presents magically appear under the tree after dinner. He comes invisible through the window. I had always imagined him as a grown up man with a goatee and a snowy face like I used to see him on a painting in my grandma's house.

CV / Books

I couldn't miss this one. So my corner view this week is all the posts labeled books that I have written here so far. Scroll down and pick the one that attracts you the most. (and tell me which one it is).
books

Czech Books for Japan

The Japanese site that I pointed to yesterday is actually more interesting than I thought. Well, what makes it most enigmatic is the fact that I don't understand a word, except for the book titles. It can be a good and almost complete overview of kids' books published in Czech Republic in the last 40, 50 years, which have good illustrations AND they are all for sale. As I mentioned, you can even see few illustrations from inside of the book when you click on them.

It is actually a great second hand book store for the Czech book illustration matter. I wonder who goes into so much trouble finding these books. Someone who knows they want them in Japan badly.

Anyway, here are some more pictures by Jágr from my beloved book.

Ground Frost and his Fellow

We are waiting for snow and it is not coming. These two illustrations are from my favorite book from childhood: Christmas Fairy-tales. Not only I liked the pictures by Jágr (necessary to say I liked them rather when I got older) I also liked the stories which have mostly things and animals acting as real persons. They are funny. So far, my kid doesn't want to hear them. And I would like to reread them so much!

That link for Jágr is pretty interesting. When you click on a book, it opens three or four other illustrations from the same book.

Completely on different subject, I came across this nice shop, they call themselves a modern one with a vintage touch.

Evening / corner view

Little piece of nature on the hill above Žižkov. The town is there, hidden in the dark, you see the silhouettes of the rooftops.

More of the corner view see Jane.

Žižkov

Trains don't go anymore through Žižkov. Now they have a tunnel to run through. I can't remember if it felt romantic or not to have trains behind the house, although our house is further from the track, it was kind of a strange experience to sit in one of the pubs there and to to feel the train crossing your back every 20 minutes. The place was shivering, glasses at the table moving slowly along.
For a year or so the rails are gone and the track has been turned into a bicycle path. They also pulled down one of the two bridges crossing diagonally the main street high above peoples' heads. I think that it is pity. The bigger one stayed. AND now, walking there, I can see what I wasn't allowed before.
What is it like to have an apartment under the roof there? It is some seventh floor or so, high and noisy, but what is the room there with those cubist windows shaped like?


Strange stairs, you will never see them from the street, this is taken from the bridge above the street. They look like they fall as soon as someone steps on them and see? They don't. Another strange thing is that they don't lead anywhere, there is no door at the bottom. Where is she going?
The back sides of the houses. The turned away faces.
Don't forget to click on the pictures.

Corner view / corners of my home

Found places in our flat. Do you have a favorite one here?
I found yesterday these pictures that fit nicely the theme. I tried to take my corners in the same way. I have a lot to learn. I found the page through ici. Ici is worth looking at every day, too.

More of the corner view see Jane.